NINE STUDENTS EARN TOP HONOURS IN NATIONAL MATH COMPETITION

Calvin Deng’s Perfect Score Earns First Prize

OTTAWA, Ontario —
The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS), with the support of Sun Life Financial, is pleased to announce the 2012 winners of the 44th annual Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO) competition. The top winners are:

Five students who received honourable mentions are as follows: Matthew Brennan, Upper Canada College, Toronto, ON; John Ma, Interlake High School, Redmond, WA; James Rickards, Colonel By Secondary School, Ottawa, ON; Kevin Sun, Kennedy Jr. High, Naperville, IL, and Alexander Whatley, North Houston Academy, Spring TX. All honourable mentions with addresses located in the United States are also Canadian citizens.

“I would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s CMO on their outstanding performance,” said CMS President Jacques Hurtubise. “To obtain such excellent standings on an advanced national mathematics competition is a testament to the dedication and hard work they put into preparing for this competition.”

The CMO is Canada’s premier national advanced mathematics competition and is staged by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS). Students who participate in the CMO are invited based on their scores in the Canadian Open Math Challenge (COMC) or their scores in other recognized competitions. Students invited to participate in the CMO must be of Canadian citizenship or be permanent residents of Canada.

“The CMO is an advanced competition that really challenges our students. With the help of their supervising teachers, over 80 students studied diligently to prepare for this year’s CMO,” said Andrew Adler,(British Columbia) Chair of the CMO Committee. “These types of competitions really benefit students because they help them develop their ability to solve advanced problems—a skill that is useful no matter what career path they decide to pursue.”

The CMS is the main national organization whose goal is to promote and advance the discovery, learning, and application of mathematics. The Society's activities cover the whole spectrum of mathematics including: scientific meetings, research publications, and the promotion of excellence in mathematics education at all levels. The CMS annually sponsors mathematics competitions that recognize outstanding student achievements.